Cooker



C. 0. SMITH.

COOKER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. 1920.

1,411,811. 1 v v P tented 111111922.

2 swans-sugar 1. N

I a Inventor.

"CHARLES C. SMrr c. 0. SMITH.

COOKER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1920.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

2 SHEE TS-SHEET 2.

172 71 1929401", CHARLES. O. 5M|T UNITED STATES CHARLES 0. SMITH, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

cooxnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4., 1922.

Application filed June 2, 1920. Serial No. 385,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES 0. SMITH, a subject of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of San Jose, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have made a new and useful invention-to wit, Improvements in Cookers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates more particularly to cookers used in the canning art, wherein the filled cans are advanced'through the heating medium from the intake to the discharge end.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a new and efficient method for carrying on thecooking of the cans in a continuous process, to guard against the escape of steam and heat through the intake and discharge ports and to provide a simple and convenient method and means for opening the discharge ports and removing and dischargin the cans upon the completion of the coo (ing operation. Further objects are raising the elliciency of operation with a decreased cost of maintenance by minimizing the expenditure of energy and reducing the liability -of burning or scalding an operator by the escape of the heating medium. Other objects and advantages will appear as this description advances.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the inventionis illustrated in the form considered to be the bestbut it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be nnderstood that in and by the claims follow-, ing the description, it is desired to cover the' invention in whatsoever form it may be bodied.

In the accompanying 1ngs- Fig, 1 is a side elevation of a cooker constructed in accordance with my invention and having my new and improved discharge chute applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the discharge on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the discharge taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1 through a discharge with the gate closed.

Fig. 5 is view similar to Fig. 4 with the two sheets of drawdischarge opened and the neck of the receiver applied thereto.

Fig. 6 is-a side elevation through a modified form of discharge, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the modified form of discharge taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of cooker having an individual discharge chute applied to each of the discharge ports of the cooker.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawings includes the heating box 1 into which a suitable heating medium such as live steam, hot air or water is passed through the conduit 2. The ends of the heating box 1 are provided with suitable enclosing plates 3 and 4 drilled to provide bearings for the ends of the shaft 5, extending concentrically through the box 1, and having a can carry ing frame 6 thereon. The can carrylng frame 6 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 5, in a manner not shown, and comprises a cylindrical body portion having radially extendin division Walls 7 helically Wound around said body frame 6, having transverse division plates 8 interposed between the helical division members. The space between the body portion of the can carrying frame 6 and the inner wall of the heating box 1 is slightly greater than the diameter of cans being passed'through in the cooking operation.

One end of the shaft 5 is provided with a worm wheel 9 meshing with a worm 10, operated by a motor or other prime mover, not shown, providing an efiicient means for slowly rotating the can carrying frame, to

I provide the necessary time interval for cooking the product in the cans. The heating box 1"is provided with an inlet port 11 of any suitable type for admitting cans into the. cooker and into position on the can frame 6. Thus when the carrying frame 6 is rotated by the'driving mechanism on the shaft 5, the cans fed into the division chute of the frame 6, it follows that cans introduced through the inlet 11 at one end of the box will be advanced through it, by rotation of the said frame, to the discharge end, and that by admitting a series of cans a continuous cooking operation can be carried on.

.The particular form of cooker that I have ado ted is of a type standard to the canning tra e, permitting all cans to be cooked to period cook cans, the first of the short cook.

cans canbe admitted to the heating box immediately and without loss of time, after the last of the long cook cans, and when the first of the short cook cans reaches its point of discharge, the gate at that point can be opened and the short cook cans discharged, while the last of the long cook cans having already passed this point will proceed to its own discharge gate. To provide a new, efficient and effective discharge chute for receiving the cooked cans from the heating box I have provided a novel apparatus that may be moved into and from connection with any one of the plurality of discharge openings in the heating box, and which will automatically open and close the discharge gates in Being placed into and from operative posi- The automatic discharge chute comprises a hollow neck portion 14 having a receiving end adapted to lit the contour of the heatmg box. The neck of the receiving end is provided with male projections 15 and 16 on opposite sides thereof for the purpose of engaging in female grooves' 17 and 18,

formed in the slide plates 19 and 20 secured to the outside of the heating box along the edges of the discharge outlet therein. The

opposite end of the neck portion 14 is provided with a substantially annular casing 21 having an outlet 22 therein. The interior of the casing 21 has the segmental rotor 23 revolvably mounted therein on the shaft 24.

The rotor 23 is provided withv chambered depressions 25,to function as cradles in re ceiving the cans discharged from the heatmg box and to regulate the timeinterval of discharge of the cans fromthe cooker.

The shaft 24 is preferably formed square to'slidably engage with a squared bushing 26 rotativelyretained with the rotor 25, permittin the rotor and enclosing casing to be sli ably adjusted on the shaft and into engagement with any one of the discharge ports. The shaft 24 is mounted in the supporting'bearings 27, 28 and 29 and is rotated by the pulley 3Q fixed thereon 'and connected by means of a suitable belt or silent chain with the pulley 31 mounted on the driven worm wheel shaft 5. The lower depending rotor casing 'on the discharge neck has the supporting wheel 32'rotatably mounted thereon and guided on the rail track 33 secured to the base support, thus aiding in moving the discharge chute from one outlet to the next.

The discharge chute is applied to the out let gates in the following manner: Assuming that the receiving neck is resting against the heating box between any pair of the outlets 34, 35 or 36, the operator grasps the neck in his hands and lifts it away from contact with the heating box at outlet desiredl/Vhen the desired location is reached the male slide projections 15 and 16 are slidably engaged with the grooves 17 and 18 in the plates 19 and 20, and moved along into engagement with the gate 37, normally adapted to closethe individual heating box outlet. As the gate 37 slowly uncovers the outlet the receiving neck gradually covers it until the throat chute 14 positions itself to receive the discharge from the can carrying tray in the interior of the heating box." The receiving chute is only placed in position at about the time the first can of a cook is timed to-be discharged. At this interval the operator grasps the handle 39 pivoted to the neck casing at 40, throwing the squared dog clutch 41 slidably mounted on the shaft 24 into engagement with the serrated face on the bushing 26 and starting the rotor 23 revolving. Thus the cans roll away from the shelves on the can carrying frame out through the disthe same time sliding it along toward the-- charge outlet and neck 14 into the cradle 1 formed rotor 23 and out through the can discharge 22 into conveyors or boxes from whence they are transported to benches for labeling or packing. I

Upon the termination of the discharging operation the receiving neck is disengaged from the guide plates and moved away from the discharge orifice. As the neck slides out of position the closing gate by reason of the tension of the spring 41 follows closelythereafter closing the outlet and preventing heat and steam from escaping from the interior of the cooker.

A modified form of cooker and discharge outlet is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

control handle 39 .to engage the slidably splined dog clutch 41 with the clutch bushing 26 on therotor 23.

Thereceiving throat of the hollow neck portion 14, adjacent each of the box out lets 34, 35 o is en a g d a a and. has

the slide gate mounted therein. The gate 43 has the gear rack 44 mounted thereon and meshing with a pinion 45 fixed on a shaft 46 that is mounted in a bearing 47 in the wall of the casing 14. The handle 48 is swivelly mounted on the end of the shaft 46 and provides a means by which an operator may open the discharge gate 43 through the pinion 45 and rack 44 when it is desired to receive cooked cans from the heating box.

Vhere the heating box outlets are pro vided with the independent, stationary discharge mechanisms the liability for losing cooking steam or heating medium is lessened to a considerable extent, as are the dangers that might arise from the escaping steam burning the hands or body of an operator. Discharge mechanisms such as described are also especially advantageous for controlling the rate of discharge of the cooked cans, eliminating any disastrous results that occur where cans pile up and jam when they are permitted to be discharged by gravity. A synchronous operation be tween can carrying frame and can discharge rotor, thus provided, serves to positively regulate and control the movement of. the

cans vfrom the'cooker at predetermined and regular intervals.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cooker, the combination with a heating box having a can inlet and a series of discharge ports at successively increasing distances from the inlet; gates covering sald ports of means for passing the cans through the cooker to the discharge ports; means whereby cans can be discharged through any particular outlet and an independently operable mechanism adapted to displace the gate covering said outlet for receiving the cans discharged from any one of the series of outlets.

2. In a cooker, the combination with a heating box having a can inlet and a. series of discharge ports atsuccessively increasing distances from the inlet; gates covering said ports of means for advancing the cans through the cooker to the discharge ports; means whereby cans can be discharged through any particular outlet and a mecha- 4. In a cooker, the combination with a.

heating box having a can inlet and a series of discharge ports at successively increasing distances from the inlet; gates covering said ports of means for advancing the cans through the cooker to the discharge port s; means whereby the cans can be discharged through any predetermined outlet and a mechanism adapted to displace the gate covering said outlet for receiving discharged cans adapted to be operable synchronously with the can advancing means and movable relative to the series of discharge ports.

5. In combination with a cooker such as described having a plurality of discharge outlets, of means within the cooker for advancing cooked cans to said outlets; an independent gate covering each of said outlets and a portable discharge mechanism adapted to be placed into operative position relative to any predetermined outlet and displacing said gate covering said outlet.

'6. In combination with a cooker such as described having a pluralityof discharge outlets, slide gates covering said outlets of means within the cooker for advancing cooked cans to said outlets; a portable discharge mechanism adapted to be placed into receiving position relative to any predetermined outlet and displacing the slide gate covering the same and means for synchronously driving the can advancing means and discharge mechanism. 3

7. In a cooker, the combination with a heating box having a can inlet and a plu rality of discharge ports at successively increasing distances from the inlet, independent slide gates covering each of said ports, of a can carrying frame rotatably mounted within said heating box; a helically mounted division plate on said frame for advancing the cans to they discharge ports; means whereby cans may be discharged through any particular outletand a portable mechanism adapted to displace the slide gatescovering said outlet for receiving the cans adapted to be attached to ordetached from any predetermined outlet.

8. In a cooker, the combination with a heating box having a can inlet and a plurality of discharge ports at successively in creasing distances from the inlet; independent slide gates covering each of said ports, of a can carrying frame rotatably mounted within said heating box; a helically mounted division plate on said frame for advancing the cans to. the discharge ports; means whereby cans may be discharged through any predetermined discharge port; a portable mechanism for receiving the cans adapted to displace a predetermined slide gate and to be attached to or detached from the said discharge port and means for synchronously operating the can carrying frame and discharge receiving mechanism.

9. In combination with a cooker having a can inlet and a series of discharge ports, and means for advancing the cans through the cooker from the inlet to the discharge ports; gates covering each of said discharge ports and an independently operable mechanism adapted to receive the cans from said dis charge ports, comprising, a neck portion adapted to displace the gate from a predetermined discharge port and register therewith and means for operating said mechanism I in unison with the can advancing means of said cooker or independentl thereof.

10. In combination with a cooker having a can inlet and a plurality of discharge ports, and means for advancing the cans through the cooker from the inlet to the discharge ports; gates covering each of said ports; a can discharge mechanism adapted to receive the cans from any discharge port of said cooker, comprising, a conduit adapted to displace the gate from a predetermined discharge port and register there with and a clutch for operating said mechanism in unison with the can advancing means of said cooker 'or independently thereof.

11. In combination with a cooker having a can inlet and a plurality of discharge ports, and means for advancing the cans a conduit engageablewith the guides on said cooker and adapted to displace the gate from a predetermined discharge port and register therewith and means for operating said mechanism in unison with the canadvancing means of said cooker or independently thereof.

12. In combination with a cooker having a can inlet and a plurality of discharge ports, and means for advancing the cans through thecooker from the inlet to the discharge ports; guides adjacent said ports; gates mounted in said guides and covering each of said ports; a can discharge mechanism adapted to receive the cans from any discharge outlet of said cooker, comprising, a conduit engageable with the guides on said cooker and adapted to displace the gate from a predetermined discharge port and register therewith; a cylinder within said mechanism and means for rotating said cylinder in unison with the can advancing means of said cooker or independently thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at ban Francisco, California, this 28th day of May 1920.

7 CHARLES 0. SMITH.

.In presence of LINCOLN V. Jormsox. 

